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A review by graveyardpansy
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
4.0
I’m debating between 4 and 4.5. I LOVE the premise and the suspense is built up well in my opinion, even if the pacing is a bit odd and there was one twist in particular that doesn’t make much sense/isn’t really foreshadowed as well as it was meant to be. I also wasn’t a big fan of the romance aspect, BUT i’m not a big romance person in general so I don’t wanna count off the book for my personal taste.
I’m often wary of books with switching POVs, but it’s done pretty well in this case, although I wish each lead’s voice was a bit more distinctive. Other than those few downsides though, this book was thrilling. The characters were well-developed; the setting and community aspect was really, really strong. I love when authors draw horror from real-world fear, and Cole does a great job of doing that without the outcome being outlandish at all — the levels of realism made the whole novel that much more thrilling. The story picks up on really topical and important discussions regarding race, too. Sometimes it feels like things are being over explained to the reader, but I could see that being a pro for some people. Overall, I really enjoyed this book regardless of its minor flaws, and if the premise interests you it explores some really interesting things!
I’m often wary of books with switching POVs, but it’s done pretty well in this case, although I wish each lead’s voice was a bit more distinctive. Other than those few downsides though, this book was thrilling. The characters were well-developed; the setting and community aspect was really, really strong. I love when authors draw horror from real-world fear, and Cole does a great job of doing that without the outcome being outlandish at all — the levels of realism made the whole novel that much more thrilling. The story picks up on really topical and important discussions regarding race, too. Sometimes it feels like things are being over explained to the reader, but I could see that being a pro for some people. Overall, I really enjoyed this book regardless of its minor flaws, and if the premise interests you it explores some really interesting things!